John p



J. P. REILY.

(No Model.)

SIGN.

No. 416,075. Patented Nov. Z6, 1889.

N. PETERS, Phmo-Lnhgmnher. washmgmn u. c.

' UNITED STATES `JOHN P. ,RILIC OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OFONE-HALF O. PAUL, OF SAME PLACE.

PATENT OFFICE.

To o'r'ro SIGN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 416,075, dated November26, 1889.

Application filed June 10,1889. Serial No. 313 ,702. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern-.-

Be it known that I, JOHN P. REILY, of the city of St. Louis, in theState of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inSigns, of which the Jfollowing is a full, clear, and exact description,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspeciiication.

The invention relates to a sign in which 1o each of the characters isinsertible in a faceplate having apertures preferably conforming inoutline to the. character to be inserted, the face of said charactersprojecting in relief to the ext-ent permitted by a flanged backing I5 oneach character, the front plate and characters being further backed by aremovable backing-plate, whereby the parts are all separable for thepurpose of cleaning and painting them or replacing parts which may bezocome injured or broken.

Figure I is a front view of oneof my letand the front plate with itsinserted individ-` ual letters slid down into position. Fig. III is ahorizontal longitudinal section taken on line III III, Fig. I, and showsthe constructive 3o arrangement of the back and frontplate with` theletters inserted in said front plate, and t-he bevel-cleats, which rarerespectively secured on the back and front plates, guide the sign properas it is slid into position and re- 3 5 tain it in said position untilit is lifted out of its seat. Fig. IV lis a perspective view of one ofthe letters and shows the iianged backs thereon that limit its profileprojection from the face of the front plate and holds it to its 4o seat.Fig. Vis a front view of the front plate with a bevel-frame around itand with individual figures instead of letters inserted therein. Fig. VIis aperspective view of theback plate with the slide attachment beveledguidecleats secured thereto. Fig. VII is a perspective view of the frontplate, and shows the ianged backs of the individual iigures that areinserted therein and the slide attachment beveled guide-cleats securedthereto; and Fig. 5o VIII is a vertical transverse section of amodification, showing ahanging sign in which two front plates withinserted individual letters or gures are placed facing in oppositedirections, and which are secured to their respective back plates by thesaine means as shown 5 5 in Figs. III, VI, and VII, said back platesbeing secured to a common center board that hangs pendent from thepivot-bolt on which it swings.

Referring to the drawings, l represents a 6o building-wall or' otherobject to which my sign is attached. 2 is the back plate that supportssaid sign, which is itself secured by screws 3, that pass throughperforations 4 in said back plate and engage in the building or otherobject to which the sign is secured.

5 represents the bottom iange of the back plate, that projects forwardfrom the same, and 6 are bevel-cleats that ascend from said projectingflange at near each end of said 7o back plate, to which plate they aresecured.

7 represents the front` plate of the sign, which is secured in the frameS, which may be an ogee frame, as shown in Figs. I, II, and III, or abevel-frame, as in Figs. V, VI, and VII, or of any other suitable shape.The said front plate and the said frame in which it is incased arepreferably iirmly secured together, and the-top and end sections of thetrame cover or lap, respectively, the top and So enpd edges of the frontplate, and the bottom section of said frame is cut away at 9 at therear, so as to pass the projecting flange 5 at the bottom of the backplate, to which projecting flange said bottom section of the frameformsa frontal cover.

10 represents the letter and ligure seating perforations in the frontplate, in which the letters and figures (both numbered Il) are in sertedto form the sign, the profile face edges 9o 12 of which project inadvance of the front plate to just the extent that the rearextension-iianges 13 at the back of said letters and figures will allow.

II represent transverse bevel-cleats which are secured at each end ofthe front plate at its rear, and the bevel edges of which cleats engagewith the bevel edges of the cleats 6 on the back plate as the frontplate,with the sign it carries, is slid down to its seat in correroospondence with said back plate, where it remains while the sign is inposition to effect its exhibit. The bottoms of the cleats 14: then reston the projecting bottom flange 5, and the top section-bar of the frame8 (that surrounds the front plate) rests on the cleats f3 fand on theupper edge of the back plate 2.

Thus the front plate, with its inserted letters and figures, is securelyheld in its seat, the bottom section-bar of the frame being cut away inthe rear to allow its passage past the projecting fiange 5 of the backplate. It thus remains until it is required to be unseated for cleaningor polishing the letters, figures, front plate, and frame, or forreplacing worn or damaged letters or figures, when itis lifted licateand each of said two lates is screwed to its respective side of a centerboard 16, that hangs pendent from a pivot bolt or rod that is supportedby any usual gallows-frame, the said pivot-rod having bearings in thescrewhinge eyelet-bolts 17, that are screw-seated in said center board.The construction of all the various parts of the sign in thismodification are the same as has been previously described above,excepting that the back plates, as stated, are screwed at each side to apivoted center board to make a double-faced swinging sign, and the framearound the front plate that holds the letters and figures is preferablyof lighter construction, as shown in Fig. VIII, than when of stationaryattachment to the front of a building, the., as shown in Figs. I, Il,III, V, and VII. Also, as stated, the said modification is arranged tohang from a gallows-frame, instead of having the aforesaid stationaryattachment direct to the building, dac.

The sign is transpositive in the attachment and detachment of itsremovable parts. Thus, when it is desired to clean or polish the sign orrenew any of the individual letters or figures, then, after thewithdrawal of the retention-screw l5, the front plate is slid up out ofits seat and the individual letters or figures are extracted therefrom,it being an easy matter to effect the same when the front plate has beenremoved. Now, it will be seen that when the said individual letters andfigures are removed from the front plate, both said letters and figuresand the front plates themselves are m uch more easilyseparately cleanedand polished, and said work is much more effectually performed than itis possible to accomplish it when said parts are connected together, forthe uneven surface consequent on said connection makes it very difficultto either clean or polish the sign amid the recesses and corners thuspresented, whereas when the parts are separated the surface isconveniently presented to operate on. S0, also, if one of the letters orfigures should be broken or damaged it is easily replaced by a freshone, as there is no adherent attachment to make it difficult to remove;but when the front plate is removed from its seat the said letters andfigures are easily slipped out. Now, it will be seen that when theletters or figures are inserted in the front plate and said front plateis seated in position, the eX- tension-flange at the back of saidletters and figures will not allow them to be lprojected beyond acertain given distance beyond the front plate, and consequently,also,they cannot be displaced forward, and the back plate, which pressessnugly against their backs, holds them from displacement in thatdirection, so that it is impossible, also, for them to be lost off thesign, as is frequently the case with porcelain letters that are attachedby the usual means.

The letters, figures, plates, and frames may be constructed of brass orother metal, or of porcelain, glass, celluloid, or any other suitablematerial.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a sign, the combination of the backplate, the frontl plate having apertures, the characters adapted to fitin said apertures, and the beveled cleats carried by each of said platesand adapted to hold `the plates together when they are slid in place,substantially as explained.

2. In a sign, the combination of the back plate, the vfront plate, the-characters carried by the front plate, the beveled cleats secured tosaid plates, and the bottom fiange on one of said plates, substantiallyas set forth.

JOHN P. RElLY.

In presence of- BENJN. A. KNIGHT, SAML. KNIGHT.

IOO

